The paper presents the history of hope from 1980-1995 to predict the risk of sudden arrhythmic death using electrophysiologic techniques in individual patients. Even if this prediction seems possible in selected highly risk cohorts, many more patients will die in ventricular arrhythmia without fulfilling the criteria. Ultimately, high risk of sudden cardiac death can be predicted in selected patient groups, but not in the majority of patients at risk. It is a history of dashed hope.